Blog
May 26 2011
Meghan Hughes (202) 224-5972 or Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417
WASHINGTON -- Today, Senators John McCain (AZ-R), Joe Lieberman (CT-ID), Lindsey Graham (SC-R) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following statement regarding Syria:
"In his speech one week ago, President Obama gave Bashar al Assad one last chance. Bashar had a choice to make, the President said: either embrace the democratic reforms demanded by the Syrian people, or get out of the way.
"It is now clear which choice Bashar al Assad has made, and that it is time for him to step aside. In the week since the President's speech, Assad's regime has continued its violent and brutal assault against the Syrian people. Mass graves have been found in Syria, while human rights groups estimate that more than one thousand people have been killed and over 8,000 people have been unlawfully detained or forcibly disappeared.
"Having ignored President Obama's appeal, Bashar al Assad and his regime must now bear the consequences. We urge President Obama to declare, as the Syrian protesters have, that Bashar al Assad has lost his legitimacy and it is time for him to go.
"We also hope the Obama Administration will work with our allies and partners to raise the situation in Syria at the UN Security Council and secure the passage of a meaningful resolution there. We commend the General Secretariat of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) for its condemnation of the violence in Syria, and urge our Administration to work with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other regional partners to ratchet up the pressure on Assad in other forums and lend greater support to the Syrian people.
"Finally, at the same time the United States and the international community target the Syrian regime for its campaign of barbaric human rights abuses, we must also hold Bashar al Assad accountable for his other violations of international law. In particular, the evidence is now clear and convincing that Syria has pursued illicit nuclear activities in violation of the NPT and stonewalled the IAEA investigation. It is time for the IAEA Board of Governors to find the Syrian government in noncompliance of its NPT obligations and refer the Assad regime to the UN Security Council."
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May 25 2011
Meghan Hughes (202) 224-5972 or Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417
I appreciate the hard work of the House Budget Committee and its Chairman Paul Ryan. I was proud to vote today in support of bringing the House-passed budget plan straight to the Senate floor for debate.May 20 2011
Meghan Hughes (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
For some time we have avoided talking about the elephant in the room in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I think it is time we break the silence.
May 19 2011
Meghan Hughes (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
“I was very disappointed in the President singling out one issue in the Israeli-Palestinian efforts for peace."
“Embracing an Israel confined to the 1967 borders – even with a land swap – undermines the effort to get a comprehensive peace agreement that includes real security protections for the State of Israel."
“There are a number of major issues that must be dealt with such as the right of return, the treatment of Jerusalem, and the ability to have buffer zones along the Jordanian border, to name a few. By emphasizing the configuration of the border, the President made a comprehensive peace deal more difficult. It was a mistake.”
May 19 2011
Meghan Hughes (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
His outrageous attack on Judge Alito convinced me that Goodwin Liu is an ideologue. His statement showed he has nothing but disdain for those who disagree with him. Those are debates that are reserved for the legislative and executive branches, not the judicial.
May 17 2011
Meghan Hughes (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
"This is a very good day for the Port of Charleston,” said Graham. “Today’s announcement is an important first step in a long journey. I truly appreciate the help the Vice President has provided in this effort. I appreciate the work of the South Carolina delegation in making this happen. I also want to thank Senator Alexander, Senator Reid, Senator McConnell, Senator Feinstein, and their respective staffs for the assistance they provided in this effort. This has truly been a bipartisan effort in the Senate. Before today, we were literally out of the game and there was a real concern we would fall another year behind. Now, we’re back in the game.”May 12 2011
Meghan Hughes (202) 224-5972 / Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417
Senators Lindsey Graham, Jim DeMint and Lamar Alexander today introduced the Job Protection Act which preserves federal law’s existing protections of state right-to-work laws.May 04 2011
Meghan Hughes (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
I respectfully disagree with President Obama’s decision not to release the photos. It’s a mistake.May 02 2011
Meghan Hughes (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
“It should be clearly understood that there is no safe hiding spot for those who harm the American people. Those who act against our nation will be relentlessly pursued and they will be brought to justice. Today’s announcement has been a long time coming and like all Americans, I’m very glad justice has been served.”
